Serbia Extends Application Deadline for Elite SAJ Unit to August 11

The Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs has extended the application deadline for aspiring members of the elite Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ) to August 11, 2026. The initial deadline was July 27, with the unit aiming to recruit 22 new members.

To be eligible, candidates must be Serbian citizens residing in the country, hold a high school diploma, and be under the age of 28. A valid B category driver's license is also required, or the candidate must obtain one within two years of applying. Crucially, applicants must have no security impediments and demonstrate the psychological and physical readiness necessary for complex police operations.

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The Ministry of Internal Affairs has long been unable to fill its ranks, due to retirements, both regular and disability, and a considerable number of people are leaving the MUP due to political pressure and the transformation of the police into a loyalist army and protection of the SNS.

Civilians are also eligible to apply for the SAJ positions. However, the recruitment challenges are significant. Slavica Radovanović, a retired police colonel and current member of parliament, commented that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has long struggled to maintain adequate staffing levels. This is due to a combination of regular and disability retirements, as well as a notable number of officers leaving the force.

Radovanović attributed the departures to political pressure and the perceived transformation of the police force into a loyalist army serving the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). She also noted that previous attempts to recruit civilians have yielded limited success, as the criteria and standards, particularly for the SAJ, remain exceptionally high.

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There have been attempts to fill the police ranks with civilians, but as the criteria and standards were high, especially for the SAJ, these attempts did not yield good results.